Pace University COOP and Career Services Partners with myWorkster to Produce a Multi-school MBA Career Fair

Back in January, 2009 the economic downturn was in full blast. Many of the alumni and graduate students that I had been seeing were losing their jobs and many financial firms large and small were significantly downsizing or going out of business. Doug Baruchin the Director of Operations of myWorkster a vendor that listed jobs from their organizational clients and had university students create profiles had asked to have a meeting with me to discuss some upgrades to their web site. I bluntly exclaimed to Doug that I had very little interest in his web site upgrades, but that I noticed that he had a number of schools listed on their web site that did business with myWorkster. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get normally competitive schools to cooperate for the benefit of their collective alumni by doing a multi-school job fair. Doug responded enthusiastically.

Doug and I got to work. He canvassed the schools that had affiliated with myWorkster and I pitch the proposal to the members of a group I belong to the Alumni Career Services Network. Essentially for the privilege of participating in the fair they would be required to ask employers who recruit at their school to participate. The result was our first Multischool Job Fair for Alumni at Baruch College, in June 2009. 25 schools, including Pace, Fordham, Baruch, NYU, NYIT and Hofstra locally and Notre Dame, Miami and University of Southern California nationally. 76 companies and over 2000 alumni attended. Other fairs planned and implemented were in Chicago and at St. John’s University successfully.

During a staff meeting of COOP and Career Services last spring we discussed how difficult the job market was going to be for our MBA graduates. I suggested as a response, maybe we could be a collaborative MBA fair similar to our alumni fairs for current MBAs looking for internships through those looking for experienced professionals. We pitched this fair to schools that offer MBAs and received a strong response. We again got a strong response from local schools, but also added such nationally recognized schools as DePaul, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Dartmouth and Cornell to our impressive list of schools.

I definitely believe that collaborate job fairs is a way of helping employers meet candidates from targeted schools in an efficient and cost effective way. It is a win-win situation for everybody concerned. Better candidates for employers and more opportunities for students and alumni to get a face to face with employers.

To find out more about this event whether you are an employer or job search candidate go to www.myworkster.com/jobfair. You can also look for 360JobInterview to be in attendance. Stop by and say hello. We’d love to meet you!

I need not tell you that in this day and age, with such few jobs and so many candidates the need to ace the interview is an understatement. Yet, so many people go into the interview without a clear strategy and plan. They do not anticipate what questions are going to be asked and what their response would be. Thus when asked a question that they obviously have not prepared for they are thrown off course. They become anxious and are unable to focus on the questions the interviewer is asking and are not responding to the nonverbal cues which give insight to what the interviewer is responding to both positively and negatively. Therefore the candidates need to have a firm grasp of the company, who they are, and themselves, what they bring to the table and what they can do to help the organization meet its organizational objectives.

In this column I will focus on typical questions both traditional and behavioral that each candidate should be prepared to answer. If these questions are prepared for, it will take a significant amount of pressure off the interviewee and allow them to focus on the interviewer thus being more present.

Question # 1- Tell me about yourself.

This is the classic open ended question. This is the question that always throws people who do not prepare for it. It demonstrates how people organize their thoughts and also gives them the opportunity to control the flow of the discussion. Many people who do not prepare for this question and try to wing it, often ramble on and on with no focus. They end up forming a bad impression to the interviewer, which they can’t recover from in subsequent questions.

The best way that I know of to handle this question is through a functional presentation. Tie the functional presentation to the key duties and responsibilities highlighted in the job description. For example:
“I’m a financial professional with more than 20 years of experience in working in investment banking. My back ground includes:

1. Analyzing Financial Statements
2. Preparing Financial Reports utilizing spreadsheets
3. Reviewing various company performance information and making investment recommendations.
4. Creating budgets and forecasts for financial products.
5. Designing systems and procedures to improve departmental performance.

Which one of these areas would you like to discuss first?

The interviewer’s response will indicate what she values most in the position. Thus giving the opportunity to give further responses to demonstrate your competency to do the job.

Question # 2- What are your Strengths?

The strengths that you discuss should be related to the position you are being interviewed for. For that financial analyst position you should select as your primary strength, your analytical skills. That is the primary reason they would want to hire you. Your interpersonal and administrative skills are supportive skills. If you were going for a sales position, your interpersonal and communicative skills are of primary importance.
For all of your strengths, make sure that you have specific behavioral examples that demonstrate those competencies.

Question #3- What are your weaknesses?

This can be tricky, you don’t want to admit something as a weakness that is important to the job. On the flip side you don’t want to give a canned answer that most interviewers have heard a number of times before. There are several options here. One option would be an area that once was a weakness that now has been remedied. It should be in an area that is not essential to the position. This is an example for the financial analyst example. “I used to be uncomfortable with public speaking, yet I realized that it was an area where I wanted to master. I joined Toastmasters International whereby I have had the opportunity to learn how to make presentations and I am now very comfortable speaking in front of audiences and have received positive reviews from others.”

Another option is to say something like this, “I can’t think of any weakness that would keep me from doing this job effectively, but I do believe in self improvement.” Then give examples of what you do to further develop yourself, from reading, attending seminars, etc.

Question #4- Why did you choose the college you graduated from?

Your answer should reflect that your choice of school had to do with professional goals, not such things as location, social life and cost. Again with the example of the person applying for the financial analyst position. “I choose my school for several reasons. I wanted a school where I would have professors who had real world experience as well as academic knowledge. Also, this school was located in the financial district affording me the opportunity to have internships in financial institutions, gaining real word experience. That is what I bring to your organization. Excellent professional education with actual job experience.”

Question # 5- What are your career goals?

Your career goals should reflect reasonable expectations. You should aspire to a senior level position in your profession. Aspiring to be CEO could turn some employers off, in that most people will not be CEO. They may fear that if you did not progress to that level you may get frustrated and leave, thus they would loose any investment in you. By the same token, they want somebody who is interested in career progression. They don’t want somebody who is content to stay in the same position for an extended period of time, thus blocking another person’s progression. A response may be: “ I would hope to progress within the financial management profession moving to higher level positions based upon my performance and the opportunities that open up in the organization.

Question #6 Why are you interested in working for this company?

In the back of people’s mind might be, “because you were the only organization that was interested in interviewing me.” But obviously that is not what you are going to say. Also, you don’t want to give a patronizing response like “because you are a great company.” You want to demonstrate your match to the job and the company. For the financial analyst, “the job and career path with your organization is an excellent match to my skills and career goals. The job description is for a person who…. The career path in financial management leads to… That is what I am looking for.

Question #7- We are interviewing other candidates, why should we hire you?

Of course you cannot know how qualified the other candidates are, but you can certainly make the case for yourself. “The reasons you should hire me are as follows. “I have an excellent academic record as demonstrated by my high QPA. I have work experience having had several internships in this industry with excellent reviews. I have demonstrable analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills. Which one of these areas would you like to discuss first?”

Question #8 – What jobs did you like best? What jobs did you like least? Why?

You never want to be in a position where you are badmouthing other people. Do not say anything bad about a company or person. Say something like this: “I have learned a lot from every position I have had. What I preferred were supervisors who communicated to me what their expectations are and were open to asking questions. In a situation where that was not the case I managed to adapt and communicate what I was doing and get feedback via email.”

There are certainly many more questions that could come up and you cannot anticipate all of them. But if you prepare for these questions you should do very well on the interview and way better than people who are not prepared which is sadly more people than not.

You can improve your skills by practicing with a skilled professional, such as a 360 Job Interview coach. Be sure that you are familiar with the technical skills that are required for the job and have the answers prepared. In future columns I will cover what questions you should ask on an interview.

By now, most of you have heard of Twitter and maybe some of you have joined it. Some of you are wondering why you joined it and what to do about it. One of the newscasters that I follow has even questioned it as narcissistic and also questions whether she should continue to Tweet. I am getting more experience with it and I’m finding it of more value every day. Don’t worry if it takes you a while to catch on. Don’t get discouraged. Many people drop out of using it, way to easily.

I am becoming addicted to it, which annoys my wife who accuses me of being more interested in Twitter than talking to her. Enough of that. But there are some things that I have already uncovered that would be useful in your job search. Twitter gives you real time information that could be useful to you for your intended career change.

Here are some suggested Tweeps to follow that can help with your job search: Alison Doyle, an active Twitter user who specializes in career issues relevant to students and recent graduates; Heather Huhman tweets daily links for internships; Dan Schawbel is an expert on personal branding, who gives tips on developing your online presence; Liz Lynch, a marketing guru; Grace Kutney is another great resource for grads; Francina Harrison is the self-proclaimed career engineer; Bill Vick of Employment Digest; and, yours truly, Barry Miller. Don’t forget to follow 360 Job Interview’s own Dan Fedrizzi and Jeff G for the latest on 360 news and special offers.

Good luck in your job search and follow your way to the change that’s right for you. Tweet you later!

I’m sure by now that many of you heard about the concept of branding. You are told that you have to do it and where to do it. No one really tells you what it is and how to create your brand both on-line and off-line. I will introduce you to some concepts of personal branding that you can use on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, as well as by having your own blog.

What is Branding?

Let us start off by examining what branding is. Branding is simply how you are perceived by others. Companies spend millions of dollars each year in advertising to try to create a certain image for their product. We know the constant barrage of commercials trying to create a favorable image emphasizing the quality of the product and associating the product with popular causes and famous people. On the personal level famous people have public relations professionals who find ways to get them publicity through personal appearances and being mentioned in the media to build their brand.

Branding and the Job Hunt

When looking for a job, branding comes into play in several areas. First, you have to create a favorable image on your resume. The resume should highlight your key competencies and examples that demonstrate that you have those skills. Second, you have to develop a pitch which creates an image to others that you have these skills and abilities. Finally you have to convey these competencies in compelling way on a personal interview. How do you begin to become aware of your personal brand? I have some exercises that will help you get started.

1. Write down three personal attributes that you want to others to be aware of about you.
2. Ask people who know you best to write down what they perceive as your top three attributes or key skills. How close do people perceive you to the way you want to be perceived?
3. If there is a mismatch, what do you need to do to change their perception of you?

Branding and Perception

Changing how people perceive you is a tricky proposition. You may be perceived with one group in a very positive way, but not with another. For example, your peers may perceive you as a great friend, fun loving and easy to get along with. But, these same dominant attributed may not be seen as positive by others who are evaluating you for a leadership position. So, if you are presenting yourself, for a higher management position, presenting yourself as strong and decisive may be important, thus the brand you try to project needs to developed to be in sync with your goals and aspirations. The help of a skilled image coach could help you. This is where 360 comes in, with a pool of experts in almost every professional field, ready to help you with its one on one Career Action Planning.

What Makes a Brand?

Let’s look at what makes up a brand. I will borrow heavily from a book “Be Your Own Brand” by David McNally and Karl Speak. A personal brand is what we are committed and what we stand for. It has to do with how we present that to the outside world and how we communicate our beliefs and abilities to people through what we say and our actions. When we are looking for a job we try to build our brand through our resume and our self presentation. Self presentation on a job search is what we say to people we meet during an event, friends and a one on one informational and contact development interview. It is also involved in what we write in cover letters and what we write about ourselves on on-line social media.

There are three characteristics of a strong brand:

1. Distinction

   First they are distinctive. That is there is something unique about that brand that differentiates it from other brands. Too many resumes read like job descriptions. They are boilerplate. When I read these resumes that people bring into me I apply the “so what” litmus test. When I say”wow!” then i know that it meets the distinctiveness criteria.

2. Relevancy

   The second criteria is that it is relevant. Other people have to consider it important. What you say about yourself must be in line with what is needed in the job market right now. So if you waited on tables or were on the events committee of your sorority, does that make a case that you will be a great financial analyst? Get rid of things that are irrelevant on your resume. Fill the resume with items that demonstrate your competencies as it relates to the job you seek. You can find out what is relevant through talking to people in your field, either through one on one or events networking. Find out what are the hot buttons in your profession or industry an address them in your self-presentation.

3. Consistency

   The third characteristic of a strong brand is consistency. The same message should be on all your resume, on line social media and in person. Successful politicians were able to deliver a consistent message throughout their campaigns so that voters got feeling as to what to expect from the candidate. You need to build a consistent message of competency in your field. When you put together your profiles on Linked In, Facebook and Twitter be sure you are delivering the same message. The personal pitch you develop for your networking and job interviews should be the same that is on your resume and social media portals.

Please consider buying this book: “Career Distinction” by William Arruda and Kristen Dixson. The book has a number of guided exercises which help you get in touch with who you are, what you have to offer the world and how to get that across to other people. And don’t forget, when it comes to truly distinguishing yourself from the crowd, 360 is there to get you noticed, and get you hired.

One of the strongest complaints about candidates for a job during a job interview is their lack of knowledge about the company. It amazes me that so many recruiters complain that the person being interviewed does not understand the business. A great way to be prepared is to utilize the 360 advantage by receiving one-on-one personalized job interview coaching.

I remember preparing my son, who is now a Vice President in a major financial firm, for one of his first interviews. We went into so much detail in this preparation to make sure that he understood the business the firm and the key issues. When he had the actual interview, he did so well that the firm decided to hire him for a more desirable position.

Preparation goes beyond just looking at the basic financials of the firm. It involves really understanding the key issues that the firm is challenged with. They expect you to carry on a knowledgeable conversation about the industry. They want you to be able to render an opinion about the issues. Most people are not able to do so, because they do inadequate preparation.

What are some of the sources of information? Clearly, there is plenty of public information, especially about large firms. Anything written by the company will be biased somewhat, but there are other objective sources. Read industry and news reports to round out some of the information.

Another useful tool is social networking. You should be able to find people who currently and who worked formerly at the firm through Linked In. If you do a ‘search by company’ you will get information on current and past employees of the firm. This is especially useful if the firm is private or little known in the general pubic. When you find these people ask your contacts to pass along a request to these individuals for you to have an informational interview.

By going out of your way to learn more about the industry and speak to people who are currently or formerly with the company, the recruiter will conclude that you are very interested in working for company and went out of your way and when beyond the usual approaches to research the company.

In my next entry, I will discuss what questions you should ask on an interview.

Preparing for a job interview involves several aspects: Understanding yourself, understanding the company and job, and developing answers to potential questions (including formulating what questions to ask the potential employer). 360 Job Interview can help you prepare for all of these things with 360° Career Coaching. We’ll set you up with a professional who specializes in your industry and will guide you to selling yourself using the strengths you have to offer.

Get to Know Yourself

In this marketplace, it is very important that you are able to articulate on a resume and in an interview what makes you stand out from the pack. For an in depth assessment and professional structuring of your resume, 360 Job Interview can give you the advantage you need to get your skills and experience to really shine.  As an option for self-assessment, I refer you to the book “Career Distinction” by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixon.

You need to be able to communicate to others your past achievements, present strengths, and potential contributions. Laura Allen, in a recent seminar at Pace University, stated that it is important to demonstrate what you do best, rather than branding yourself as a generalist who can do everything well. A great way of starting this process is suggested by Katherine Hansen in her recently published book, “Tell Me About Yourself, Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career.” She suggests that you write up stories about yourself that demonstrate your competencies. It is important that you don’t sound like a talking and walking  job description.

Another important activity is to make a list of your accomplishments. For each accomplishment list what skills that were necessary to achieve that result. Make sure that the accomplishments are discussed in terms of quantifiable and observable results if possible. At the end of this process you will have a list of key competencies and specific examples that demonstrate them.

Every job that requires a college degree requires at least three areas of competence in addition to technical skills. They are analytical skills, interpersonal skills, and administrative or organizational skills. Make sure that you have at least two examples of each before the interview. If you don’t prepare these adequately before the interview, it will put much more pressure on you. Don’t waste your energy on trying to come up with good answers during the interview, prepare. 360° Interview Coaching can provide you with the skills to blow your interviewer away.

The next post in this series will focus on how to obtain and utilize knowledge of the company to get you ready for the interview.

(above image source)

Interviewing as a Two Way Conversation by Barry Miller, Ph.D.

Joe Jones’s credentials could easily have won him a new position. Especially in this market where there is a great demand for accounting managers. The 55-year-old former corporate controller started his career as a staff accountant for one of the now Big Four accounting firms, He was quickly promoted to a senior accounting position before leaving to become an assistant controller for a New York- based Fortune 500 company. He later landed the controller’s job, which he held for five years until a merger caused the position to be eliminated.

Despite his track record of accomplishments and progressive promotions, however, Mr. Jones rarely reached first base when interviewing for a new position. Further, he was baffled when asked what was wrong with his interviewing style.

Just talking with this hapless candidate for a few minutes revealed the problem: When asked a question, Mr. Jones told long, rambling tales, often going off on tangents that left interviewers overwhelmed with unnecessary detail. He was so anxious to please that he gave too much information to prove his competence. Interviewers could only conclude that Mr. Jones was, at best, a poor communicator, and, at worst, quite boring.

If your performance during job interviews is more like a Shakespearian soliloquy, chances are that you, too are a boring interviewee. To you, your discourse may seem, talking for your own benefit, you aren’t addressing specific topics a lively, but to interviewers, it’s more unfocused and dull. If you’re employer wants covered. In fact,  many employers complain that candidates don’t relate their qualifications to the position or company needs. Some candidates counter by saying that interviewers should take responsibility for having their questions answered successfully. In this employment climate, no job seeker can afford this attitude. A better approach is to assume that you are responsible for the success of your interviews and that interviewer’s assistance is an unexpected gift.

To avoid being boring during interviews the candidate should use a conversational interview style that allows them to probe for areas of interest to employers, and then discuss them. Begin this process before the actual interview by researching each company. This can help you form questions or comments about the organization and the available position. During the meeting, ask questions to determine what topics to cover. Finally, limit your answers to two sentences so you don’t ramble. The following explanation of the conversational interview style should provide pointers on how to approach your next interview.

Tell me about yourself. This is often the first questions employers ask because they want to know what you can offer them. Instead of reciting your life history or rehashing your resume, define yourself by the position you are seeking. Answer by giving a generic title of the position and listing four or five areas of competence. A sample response might be:

I’m a human resource professional, with more than twenty years of experience in industrial organizations. My background includes designing, coordinating and monitoring programs and systems for human resources planning, management development, performance appraisal and career planning. I’ve developed and implemented training programs at the corporate, division and plant levels, and counseled groups, managers and employees on individual assessment, assessment, career development and job search tactics. I’ve also researched and evaluated approaches and techniques for improving organizational effectiveness and managerial performance.

You’ve now defined yourself as a professional with a variety of experiences and skills. Next, ask the interviewer, “Which one of these areas would you like me to discuss first?” The interviewer’s response will help you hone in on areas that are most important to the position.

If the interviewer wants to know about your experience in designing management development systems, your response might be: I created a procedure to monitor and develop both key and high potential employees. Plans were implemented to prepare these employees to assume higher-level positions.

Note that your answer took only two sentences. By keeping the response brief, you can maintain a two-way conversation and find out more about the position. Next ask an “orienting” question such as” would you like any additional information?” Then if prompted to provide more detail about management development, say: Key employee were defined as individuals at director-level and above. High potential employees were rates as 5 on a 1 to 5 scale. The development plan were implemented and monitored on these people.

Then ask the interviewer another orienting question, such as “Is that sufficient information?” If the answer is no, ask if you can provide another example of your management development experience.

After a maximum of two examples, try to turn the conversation in a different direction. For example say: I’ve given you several examples of my management development experience. What are the management development responsibilities for the position we’re discussing?

This is an “open-ended” question, which can’t be answered with a”yes” or “no”. The interviewer’s response will give more details about the job requirements. You can then match your experience to the new information as follows:

You mentioned that part of my responsibilities would be the development and implementation of training programs. I’ve had a considerable amount of experience in this area. Would you like me to elaborate on it?

In this instance, you’re asking for permission to provide more detail. This stops you from giving the interviewer unwanted information and ensures that you have an active listener. Your question also shows that you respect the interviewer’s interests and time. The more satisfied the interviewer is with your responses, the more likely you’ll be considered favorably for the position.

Interpersonal Issues

Interviewers usually focus initially on matching your experience to a position’s requirements. Ideally, your conversation should go back and forth like a tennis match. Later interpersonal issues often arise. A typical question that arises at a critical stage of the interview is “Why are you looking for another position at this time?” This can be extremely stressful especially if you were terminated either due to layoffs or cause. It’s very important that you practice your response before the interview. If you are hearing it for the first time your body may give off non verbal signs of stress. The interviewer may interpret the signs of uneasiness as an indication that the candidate is hiding something.

After answering the question, quickly turn the topic to asking why the position is open. This can help you decide whether the position is right for you.

Continue asking the interviewer about position requirements or expectations concerning career goals, supervisory style, candidate strengths and weaknesses, preferred work environment or any other issues that surface. Before the interview ends, use the information to summarize the key points you’ve discussed. State clearly that you are interested in the position, if that is the case, and ask about the next step in the hiring process.

After Jones learned this approach, he became more confident and competent when interviewing. Within two months, he landed a controllership position at a salary and bonus that exceeded his previous earnings at a small, fast growing company. Learning the conversational, interview technique also helped him on the job, he says. Previously, he says, he “turned off” other managers when explaining his favorite projects because he failed to involve them in the conversations. Now, he says, he limits his comments and elicits responses from others.

An effective employment interview is a two-way conversation, with both parties learning from each other. This approach requires candidates to prepare thoroughly, but the payoff is worth it. Once you learn the technique, you can focus your energy on your interviewers, feed off their responses and give answers that support your candidacy.